A near perfect game by Gia Rodoni in the circle helped the Lady Bears to their first win of the day before the bats came alive with five home runs and 15 hits for the second victory of the day.

GAME 1: BAYLOR 1, HOUSTON 0

Houston couldn’t get anything going against Rodoni. The senior kept the Cougars off balance all game long with 11 strikeouts. For only the second time this season, Houston was shut out.

Rodoni had a perfect game going into the seventh inning as she and the Baylor defense retired the first 18 Houston batters. However, the Cougars led off the final frame with a softly hit infield single. That was the lone hit of the game for Houston.

Baylor jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With two outs, Goose McGlaun smacked a double over the outfielder’s head to put a runner in scoring position as Aliyah Pritchett stepped to the plate. Pritchett hit a grounder to third, but an errant throw allowed McGlaun to score.

Baylor finished the game with two hits as Lou Gilbert added a bunt single in the sixth inning. Gilbert also had the defensive play of the game in the sixth inning as she showed off her reflexes at the hot corner. The sophomore snagged a line drive at third base, keeping a hit off the board for the Cougars.

GAME 2: BAYLOR 10, HOUSTON 6

Baylor held its own home run derby in the top of the fifth inning as four home runs in the frame propelled the Lady Bears to its largest offensive output of the season.

After singles by Taylor Ellis and Maddison Kettler put runners in scoring position with one out, McGlaun launched her first home run of the season into orbit. Pritchett, the next batter up, wanted in on the home run party. The freshman crushed her fifth homer of the year over the center field wall.

Lou Gilbert then went yard for the first time in her career. Gilbert, who was mostly a slapper from the left side of the plate, has become more of a power hitter this season as she entered the day with four multi-base hits in comparison to the three she finished with a year ago.

After a single to shortstop by Hannah Smith, Hannah Thompson crushed her first bomb of the season, and sixth of her career.

Number seven came two innings later in Thompson’s next at-bat. It marked the first multi-home run game for a Lady Bear since Taylor Ellis at Oklahoma on April 5, 2019.

Baylor added two more runs off RBI singles by Aliyah Pritchett and Gilbert in the sixth inning.

Defensively, Thompson threw out not one, but two, Houston runners trying to swipe second base. Entering Tuesday night’s contest, Baylor had thrown out two runners (ACU, Kent State). Both of those came from Thompson. Of note, Houston entered the second game of the doubleheader with the starters 26-for-29 in stolen base attempts.

HIGHLIGHTS

Goose McGlaun hit her seventh double of the season. She was back in the third spot of Baylor’s lineup for the first time since Feb. 14.

Eight Lady Bears are from the Houston area and got to play in front of their families and friends on Tuesday at Houston Softball Stadium.

Gia Rodoni, in her 15 appearances, has recorded a minimum of six strikeouts nine times.

Rodoni finished with 11 strikeouts, her second game of the year and 11th game of her career with double digit strikeouts in a game.

Baylor is 9-1 in one-run games this season.

For the first time this season, Baylor threw out multiple runners trying to steal second. Both of those came from Hannah Thompson.

With 29 career home runs, McGlaun is now in sole possession of sixth place in the Baylor record books.

Baylor’s five home runs were the most since the Lady Bears had five at Texas Tech on April 6, 2018.

Hannah Thompson recorded two home runs in the game. It marked the first multi-home run game for a Lady Bear since Taylor Ellis at Oklahoma on April 5, 2019.

Baylor’s 15 hits in the second game marked the most hits by BU in a game since the Lady Bears had 17 against Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 17, 2018.

Baylor swept its series against Houston for the first time since 2015 when Baylor won 9-4, 8-4 against the Cougars on March 17 in Waco.

STAT OF THE DAY
4 – Number of home runs Baylor hit in the fifth inning of the second game against Houston.

TOP QUOTES
Glenn Moore on the day…

“Both wins were much needed against a very good Houston team. … I couldn’t be happier with the way this team played. We didn’t play error-free ball, for sure, but when the momentum started going our way we capitalized in a way we hadn’t done the whole year.”

Moore on Rodoni’s performance…

“In essence that was a perfect game. She gave up a hit, but it was a dribbler to the shortstop. We just barely missed throwing her out. She did her part in throwing, in essence a perfect game. You can’t ask for much more than that.”

UP NEXT

Baylor flies to the state of Florida for the second time this season. This time, the Lady Bears will go to Gainesville for a three-game series against the seventh-ranked Gators.